


Stages of Attraction

by tennou



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Backstory, Fluff, Humor, Non-Binary Hange Zoë, Other, Relationship Study, slow build romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-04-10
Packaged: 2018-01-13 08:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1219819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tennou/pseuds/tennou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Petra isn't exactly thrilled to find out she'll be working under the eccentric Hanji Zoe for the next couple of months, but she might end up getting more than she expected to out of the experience.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Spark

**Author's Note:**

> (This is set in way back when Petra had just joined the Scouting Legion, and so before any of the 104 kids and before Wall Maria was breached.) Petrahan is one of the cutest pairings in the world so I thought it needed an appropriately cute fic for it. I hope you like it! **NOTE: I use they/them pronouns when referring to Hanji

Hanji Zoe was almost an enigma to Petra. Though she’d already spent two full months with Scouting Legion, Petra didn’t think she’d ever spoken to the scientist without having a buffer of some kind between them. All she knew of them she’d discovered by way of others, either through rumors or stories of their feats.

She knew that Hanji had briefly been wanted by the Sina government for their “creative” approaches to the titan problem; she knew that they were incredibly intelligent; and she knew that they rarely (if ever) took regular care of themself and their hygiene.

Petra sincerely hoped that the last thing was false.

She approached Hanji’s workroom with slowed steps, her teeth gnawing a hole through her bottom lip.

Petra was, in all honesty, more than a little intimidated by the person waiting on the other side of the door. It sounded as though they’d had more of an interesting life in the span of their twelve months with the Scouting Legion than Petra had her entire life. They sounded a lot smarter than Petra too. How was she supposed to keep up?

Petra shook her head. She’d been through worse, hadn’t she? She could handle meeting the mysterious Hanji Zoe, no problem.

 _Just smile and greet them like normal,_ Petra told herself as she steeled her resolve and opened the door.

With their back to the doorway, hunched over an ancient-looking desk and perched on the edge of a creaking chair, sat Hanji Zoe.

Petra stood patiently in the doorway, waiting for the brainy squad leader to turn and acknowledge her.

And continued to wait for the next five minutes. She at first thought they were purposely ignoring her, but as time stretched on, Petra realized the possibility that Hanji might not have even noticed she was there. Both the commander and her squad leader had mentioned something about them being very involved in their work. Was this a case of that…?

Petra cleared her throat. Still nothing. Petra almost resumed nervously chewing on her lip before forcing herself to take a calming breath. She cleared her throat again, louder this time.

“Er, Squad Leader Hanji?”

The person in the chair shot straight up as though they’d been shocked and Petra took a step backward in surprise.

Goggled eyes turned to peer at her from between the strands of greasy-looking hair that fell in front of their face. They grinned.

“Hello!” they called. “Can I help you with something?”

Petra opened her mouth to explain that she’d been sent to work under them for a month or so to familiarize herself with titan structure and biology, but she never got the chance to say so.

“Oh!” Hanji interrupted with an excited hop. “Would you like to see something interesting?”

“Uh, I suppose—”

“Fantastic!” They ushered her over to the desk with an erratic waving of their hand. “Look at this,” they said, watching Petra’s face with enough focus to make her squirm. “What do you see?”

“Um.” Petra stared down at the paper in Hanji’s hands, perplexed. All she saw was a crudely drawn sketch of a naked person. Or maybe it was supposed to be a titan? And there were various notes and scribbles surrounding the sketch. She honestly had no clue what she was supposed to be seeing, but…this was the intellectual squad leader Hanji Zoe, wasn’t it? It had to be something of great importance; genius was often not always expressed in the neatest or easiest to understand ways.

Petra squinted. “It…looks like…a titan battle strategy?” she guessed at last.

“Hm.” Hanji placed the paper back on the desk. “That was actually just a doodle of a titan I saw on our last expedition,” they said. “But I commend you for your imagination!”

Petra blinked a few times.

_Wait, what?_

 As she watched, Hanji applied the finishing touches to their doodle and carefully placed it inside their desk drawer, humming all the while. A frown overtook Petra’s face.

 _This_ was Hanji Zoe?

They seemed…childish, to say the least. She’d known to expect someone eccentric, but she hadn’t expected someone like _this_.

And, she noted with a scrunched-up nose, it appeared that the rumors about their hygiene had been true. She suspected the squad leader hadn’t seen the inside of a shower this whole week, and perhaps even the week before that.

“That’s right!” Hanji snapped their fingers and turned to Petra. “What’s your name?”

Petra straightened her posture and placed a fist over her heart in salute. “My name is Petra Ral. I’ve been assigned to work under you for the upcoming weeks, Squad Leader.”

Hanji seemed surprised for a second before they waved away the salute with a smile. “No need for that nonsense,” they said. “Just call me Hanji.”

Petra relaxed her outward position but internally wondered how she’d handle being under this frivolous person for the next few weeks.

 _Remember_ , she told herself. _You’ve been through worse. This is just…a test, of sorts. This is nothing. Just do what you have to do and learn under Hanji. They have to know_ something _about titans to have achieved such a status and reputation, right?_

Glancing at Hanji who was now trying to balance a pencil between their nose and top lip, she wasn’t so sure.


	2. Physical Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra begins to see some of the upsides to working under Hanji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for the second chapter but here it is! Fluffy as shit but I already warned you guys this was going to be super fluffy, sooooo you should've been prepared. It's also a little longer than the last chapter.

“When is the last time you took a shower, Hanji?” Petra asked.

She had been working under the other for almost two weeks now and Petra didn’t think they’d even gone _near_ water during the entirety of it. She suspected Levi was the one who usually assured Hanji maintained their basic hygiene needs, but he’d been too busy recently to do so.

Thus, Hanji smelled like titan feet. Really bad-smelling titan feet. Petra had been so put-off by the smell that she’d forgotten to use her usual respectful tone when she’d asked, but Hanji hadn’t seemed to have noticed.

Hanji looked up at the ceiling and put a hand to their chin in thought.

“You know,” they said, looking back to Petra. “I really don’t know.”

Petra massaged her temples and resisted the urge to release an irritated sigh. “Alright,” she said. “Before we do anything else, don’t you think it would be a good idea to freshen up a little?”

Petra wasn’t even entirely sure what they’d been doing this whole time but she was sure she’d be able to concentrate better if Hanji would just _take a shower_.

“Eh? Now? Let’s just finish this up first Petra,” Hanji bargained, but Petra would have none of it.

“Up we go,” she said, pulling Hanji out of their seat and dragging them out of the room and down the hall to the communal baths.

“Wait! I can shower afterwards!” Hanji cried. “I’m almost done with the reports! I only need 10 more minutes! No, 5 minutes! Please Petra!”

Petra shook her head firmly. “You are going to be _clean_ Hanji.”

Petra had made it halfway to the bathroom when she felt her back collide with something in the middle of the hall. She craned her neck over her shoulder and found the commander and Levi standing behind her, greeting the two of them with confused and concerned stares.

Petra recovered quickly and delivered a bright smile. “Uh, hello…” She said after a beat of silence. She wondered if she should salute the men but decided against it when she realized that Hanji would use it as an opportunity for escape. “We were just on our way to the baths.”

The commander smiled. “I see. That’s good. Hanji, intelligent as they may be, does have a tendency to forget to take care of themself once in a while. I’m glad to see someone is there to make sure they don’t get too wrapped up in their work.”

Levi simply nodded. “Good work. Carry on, Petra.” And with that, the two men continued leisurely down the hall.

Petra stared after them with some puzzlement.

She had only been taking Hanji for one single shower, but they’d made it sound as though Petra had signed on to be her official caretaker (which Petra had most certainly _not_ signed up for).

“Petraaaa!” Hanji’s voice broke through her thoughts and she quickly dragged Hanji the rest of the way to the bathroom, where she ordered them to strip down and enter the bath at once.

“The sooner you bathe the sooner you can get back to your research,” Petra told them. “So hurry up and take off your clothes,” she ordered. “Now, do you prefer showers or baths?”

With a melodramatic sigh, Hanji replied, “Bath please,” and began to unbutton their shirt. Petra turned to the tub and twisted the knob for the hot water, crouching next to it as she waited for it to heat up.

“Alright, it’s ready Han—” _Whoa._ Petra’s eyes widened at the sight of the squad leader’s naked body, all muscles and taut skin and scars.

She didn’t know why she’d expected any different—nearly everyone in the Scouting Legion had acquired similar body types, Petra included—but… _whoa_.

“Petra?” Hanji scratched their head, oblivious. “What is it?”

Petra blinked rapidly as she tried to keep herself from staring at Hanji and instead looked back at the tub. “Your bath is ready,” she said, ignoring the warmth growing on her cheeks.

She heard Hanji’s bare footsteps make their way across the floor and climb into the tub.

“Here’s the soap and shampoo,” Petra said, pushing the soap solution and shampoo bottle into Hanji’s hands.

Hanji stared down at the items before looking up at Petra in confusion. “What do you want me to do with these?”

Petra frowned. Were they deliberately making this more difficult? “Bathe yourself, Hanji.”

“I have to do it…myself?” they asked, genuine incomprehension on their face.

“Yes…” Petra said slowly. “Don’t you…usually bathe yourself…?”

Hanji shook their head. “Levi usually does it, even though he’s always really rough to me when he does. Or sometimes he has somebody else do it.”

Petra couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’re saying that you’ve _always_ had somebody to bathe you?”

Hanji nodded vigorously. It was then that Petra realized with a start that the strange interaction in the hall just moments ago had been the commander and squad leader delegating the task of keeping Hanji clean to _her_. This would most likely be her job from then on.

 Hanji held out the soap and shampoo, which Petra warily accepted. What else could she do?

“I suppose I’ll help you, then,” Petra said with a sigh, but she wasn’t too put out by it.

Though she didn’t particularly like bathing people other than herself, she wouldn’t really mind getting her hands on that superb body.

Petra took the hair tie that was around her wrist and used it to hastily throw Hanji’s hair in a bun.

Now all she had to do was…the washing part.

Petra rolled up her sleeves and picked up the soap and the washcloth. She looked uneasily to Hanji, who was contentedly sitting back in the tub with their arms propped up on the sides.

Petra tilted her head. If _they_ weren’t bothered by it…She shrugged. Might as well plunge headfirst into the task.

Petra poured the soap solution into a nearby pail of water and worked it up to a lather with the washcloth before turning back to Hanji. She softly, hesitantly touched the cloth to her skin drawing back instantly when a shiver wracked their body.

An apology was already on her lips. “Sorry! Did I do something wrong?” she asked, her fingers clutching the washcloth so tight her knuckles were turning white.

Hanji shook their head. “It was just a little cold.” They laughed good-naturedly. “Don’t worry about it, Petra!”

Her grip on the washcloth loosened and Petra let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

She was more thankful for Hanji’s laidback demeanor than she’d realized.

Everyone back in Petra’s neighborhood had been quite easygoing when they went about their business. They worked hard, but they worked in a way that didn’t put too much of a strain on a person and though she’d taken up with the Scouting Legion in part to escape from that lifestyle, Petra had unintentionally become accustomed to it. It had been a little disappointing to find that she most likely wouldn’t be coming across many people with similar dispositions anytime soon—not in the Scouting Legion at least. It’d made her somewhat starved for familiar relationships.

And while she enjoyed the company of her squad leader, there was only so much of his incomprehensible poop jokes and roundabout manner of speaking that she could take.

Eccentric as they may be, Hanji was good company.

Petra caught herself before she became too wrapped up in her own thoughts and shook her head. She had a job to do. Her eyes dropped down to where her hand rested in the space above Hanji’s breasts.

She would need to lather those up too, eventually. Though Petra could already feel her heart rate speeding up she knew it would be best not to prolong it.

Petra swallowed, willing herself to keep calm as her hands dipped lower and slid down Hanji’s breasts. Her eyes darted periodically up to Hanji’s face, half-expecting it to be contorted in rage as they cried out “Petra you pervert!” but Hanji’s face betrayed no shock or disgust. They were even softly humming to themself.

So Petra was just getting embarrassed all by herself. She let out a small breath and tried to ignore how soft Hanji’s breasts felt to the touch as she finished lathering them. Pausing in her work, Petra turned and dipped the washcloth back into the soapy solution. She then brought it back over Hanji’s waist, still dripping wet.

“Ah! That’s cold Petra! And it kind of tickles,” Hanji said with a snorting giggle. Petra found herself smiling despite herself as she squeezed more cold droplets from the cloth, pulling more tittering reprimands from the squad leader.

Petra veered back with a shriek when Hanji reached into the pail and flung a handful of the soap water at Petra.

“Hanji! I’m not the one taking a bath!” Petra said, trying to maintain a straight face.

“You left me no choice, Petra,” Hanji said sagely, before cupping a hand in the water and tossing the handful at Petra.

Petra was laughing before she could stop herself and then she was picking up the bucket and dumping the contents onto Hanji’s already soapy body and using it as a makeshift shield when Hanji started flinging water from the pail at her side in retaliation. The two were soaked within minutes—the only downside being that Petra hadn’t been the one needing a bath.

 _Well_ , Petra thought as she dried her face off after their little water fight, _I should at least be able to concentrate now that Hanji is clean_.

She absentmindedly peeled the wet material of her shirt away from her skin and glanced at the opening door when Hanji walked in, refreshed and clean.

They grinned. “Let’s get to work, Petra!”

Petra was suddenly grateful for the coolness her wet uniform provided her because she was starting to feel very flushed right then.

Had Hanji’s hair always looked so shiny and full? Their skin was no longer coated with sweat and dirt and even had a healthy glow. When Hanji came and took their seat next to Petra once more, she noted that their smell had improved tremendously as well. It was a pleasantly surprising improvement.

“Petra? Is something wrong?”

“Huh?” Petra realized then that she’d been subconsciously leaning closer and closer to Hanji until she was practically pressed against their side. “Sorry!” she said, returning to her seat with a furious blush.

Hanji laughed. “No problem, Petra! You can even sit on my lap, if you want!”

Petra felt her cheeks warm further at the thought of being seated so intimately against the muscled body of the squad leader, even if they had meant it as a joke.

“It’s not nice to tease, Hanji,” she mumbled, burying her flushed face into her folded arms. She heard Hanji continue to chuckle at her as they continued their work and Petra peeked up at them with a small smile.

Hanji was really nice company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave comments and kudos if you liked it! Thanks for reading this chapter! [dokushoujo](http://dokushoujo.tumblr.com/)


	3. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trust is best forged in the heat of battle.

Petra had been on numerous expeditions before; not nearly as many as the veterans of the Legion like Levi or Mike, but enough to feel capable and confident in her own abilities.

But hard work and natural talent aside, Petra was still fairly new to the titan-hunting game—something she was quickly reminded of during their succeeding expedition.

“Seven-meter class approaching on the right!” she yelled, inwardly cursing their luck.

It was the fourth titan they’d come across in the first ten minutes of their expedition and she was already feeling winded.

_Stay focused, Petra. Push forward._

“It’s getting close!” she shouted to Levi. “Should I take care of it, Squad leader?”

She watched Levi look back at the oncoming titan. It was flailing its limbs with its jaw wide-open in way that would’ve been humorous if it wasn’t closing the distance between them with terrifying speed.

“Go,” he called back. “I’ll help—”

“Squad Leader! Fifteen-meter class ahead! It looks like a deviant!” they heard Erd call from the front. Levi swore under his breath.

“I’ll be alright, Squad Leader!” Petra reassured, already turning in the direction of the titan. “Just leave it to me!”

“Petra—”

“Squad Leader! We need your assistance!”

Levi looked back at the group in the front with a frown. “Fine,” he said, tightening his grip on the reigns. “Don’t try anything too absurd, Petra. Get it over with as quickly as possible.” He urged his horse forward with a snap of the reigns and then Petra was alone. She took a deep breath.

The titan was smaller than what she usually took down; its movements were erratic but overall manageable. She could handle this.

She rode forward and circled around the path of the lumbering figure, getting its weak spot in clear sight before discharging the hooks of her gear and sinking them into an overhanging branch. She couldn’t help the slight wince as she was wrenched upward—she still wasn’t entirely used to the tight bindings of the 3DMG—but kept her bearings about her enough to release the hooks and swing closer to the titan’s neck. She slid her blades out of their casings, readying to land her blow—

The titan suddenly swerved and threw out its hand haphazardly, nearly knocking Petra right out of the air. Petra avoided its grasp but just barely; her blades slipped from her fingers as she struggled to stay airborne, fumbling with her gear.

Somewhere in the distance she heard her name being called but the voices were muted by the sight of the cavernous mouth of the titan as it stretched its jaws wide.

Petra knew she had to move but she _couldn’t_. Her mind was frozen. All she could do was watch as the titan brought its arm up, moving closer and closer to where she was hanging. It was _so big_. How could she possibly avoid it?

Was she going to die? She felt her eyes burn with the threat of tears.

She didn’t want to die. She didn’t. She wasn’t ready to sacrifice herself for humanity. Not yet.

“Please help me,” she whispered.

Her body was slammed out of the air. Petra would’ve cried out in pain or surprise but she couldn’t catch her breath.

“Are you okay, Petra?”

Petra opened her eyes and refocused them on the sight before her.

“H-Hanji?”

Hanji grinned. “You can recognize me! That’s a good sign! I thought I might’ve hit you too hard when I grabbed you back there.”

Petra…wasn’t dead. She’d been saved. By Hanji. She looked down to find that she was scooped up in Hanji’s arms like a princess.

“Th-thank you…” she said softly, her face still wet with tears.

Hanji landed with a slight jolt on a branch that was out of the seven-meter class titan’s reach and gently lowered Petra onto her feet.

“Please, Petra. As if you wouldn’t have done the same thing,” they said with a smile.

But Petra wasn’t sure if she would have.

She was scared and weak, and she didn’t know if she’d made the right choice joining the Scouting Legion at all. She began to shake.

“I-I can’t…Hanji, I can’t fight titans…I-I’m not strong enough,” she said with a sob. “I’m sorry, Hanji!”

Petra felt their arms encircle her shoulders and pull her against their chest.

“Yes, you are,” she heard them say. “You’re _so_ strong Petra. You’re the strongest one here, and you’re doing so well.”

Petra knew they were probably just saying that to pacify her, but it made her feel better nonetheless and she wrapped her arms around their waist tightly.

“How did you know you had to come save me?” she asked.

“Oh, that? It wasn’t much of a mystery. I’ve studied you, Petra!”

Petra looked up at Hanji with a confused frown.

“Your battle statistics,” Hanji clarified. “You have a higher kill rate when you’re on a team rather than working solo, so I thought you might need some assistance on this one.”

Petra blinked.

"Why would you do that?"

Hanji looked surprised. "I do that for all new soldiers, Petra. We're in a war, and those aren't won by keeping the needs of the few in mind. It's important to prioritize the needs of all soldiers wherever possible."

Petra felt something warm settle in her chest at the knowledge that Hanji looked out for them. She’d thought of Hanji as friendly and a little silly, but she was beginning to see why they were the leader of their own squadron.

Hanji was looking down into the clearing where the seven-meter class was still groping at the air, trying to reach them. “What do you say we get you some new blades and take care of this guy, huh?” Hanji asked with a grin. “Together?”

Petra could still feel herself trembling but the majority of the tremors had subsided somehow with her knowledge that she would be okay if Hanji was there with her. It was comforting to know they’d have her back. She felt her lips curl up in a smile.

“Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of a short chapter, but an important one! (And I remembered from the manga that Petra was super nervous/scared in her earlier days with Scouting Legion? So I thought this would be a fitting reaction for her) [dokushoujo](http://dokushoujo.tumblr.com/)


	4. Caring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra is definitely beginning to feel something new toward Hanji, but she isn't sure how to express it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh heh, Petra wants to take care of Hanji, but who is really taking care of who here?

Petra knew Hanji worked late nights. She always wondered whether it would be pertinent for her to stay awake with them but she’d never done it, thinking she’d prove to be too much of a hindrance.

“You’re still awake, Petra?”

Petra startled a bit at the sudden voice from behind her but relaxed when she saw it was Erwin.

“Oh, hello Commander!” she greeted. “I’m going to bed soon; I just like to make myself a cup of tea before I sleep. Would you like a cup?”

“If it’s not too much trouble for you.”

Petra smiled. “It’s no trouble at all!”

Erwin took a seat as Petra prepared another cup. “Ah, do you know if Hanji is still awake?” he asked, almost as an afterthought.

They most likely were. She’d seen them work late, late nights—sometimes not even bothering to go to sleep. She said as much to Erwin.

A small sigh of understanding passed his lips. “I suspected that was the case,” he said. “I appreciate their hard work but I wish they would take better care of themself.”

“I understand you completely, sir!” Petra’s cheeks warmed at her own enthusiasm. “Sorry, I just meant…I also wish they would take care of themself,” she amended quietly.

Erwin smiled pleasantly at her reaction. “Perhaps it would be appropriate if you went and checked on them, to see how their work is coming along or to see if they need any help.”

Petra poured out a second cup of tea. “Excuse me if this is a foolish question, sir, but…don’t you think they would be bothered by my presence?” She bit her lip. “I’d like to help if I can, but I feel as though I might just get in their way.”

Erwin stood and walked over to where Petra was standing, placing a kind hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see a gentle smile on his face.

“There’s only one way to know for sure.”

Petra stared down at the tufts of steam rising from the tea silently, because she knew he was right.

“Well, whatever you choose to do, try not to stay up too late, hm?” And with that, he left.

“Wait! Your tea!” Petra called out too late. She stared down at the second cup in her hand. The commander didn’t seem particularly forgetful, but now she was stuck with an extra cup of tea, and she didn’t want to waste it…

Realization dawned on her and she hastily placed the cups onto a tray along with a plate of biscuits.

She carried the tray down the hall and stopped in front of the closed door that led into Hanji’s workroom. She maneuvered the tray onto one arm and knocked lightly on the door.

“Hanji?”

“Come in!” she heard them call. She pushed the door open and peeked inside. Hanji looked up and grinned.

“Petra! What a surprise! You’re usually long-asleep by now, aren’t you?”

“Sometimes,” she said as she closed the door behind her. She walked up the table Hanji was working at and set down the tray. “I thought…you might get hungry during your work, so I brought you some tea and a snack.”

Hanji stared silently down at the tray for a few seconds longer than Petra was comfortable with. Hanji finally looked back up at her.

“This is…for me?”

Petra nodded and twisted her fingers behind her back. “Is this okay?”

“Petra,” Hanji said slowly. “This is more than okay!” they exclaimed so suddenly that Petra nearly jumped in surprise. “Ah, thank you so much!” They picked up the mug of tea and took a giant gulp of it before Petra had the chance to tell them it was still piping hot. Hanji appeared to have noticed that on their own however, judging from their watering eyes as they swallowed the drink.

“Did…did you burn your tongue just now?” Petra asked. Hanji’s smile looked slightly pained as they nodded yes. Petra covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “I’m sorry,” she said, still fighting off laughter. “I should’ve told you sooner.”

Hanji stuck their tongue out as though trying to observe the extent of the burns. “I’th fine,” they said, still trying to look at their tongue for a few more moments before giving up and closing their mouth. “I’d burn my tongue plenty more times if it was on your tea, Petra!”

Petra felt her cheeks flush, and though she knew that Hanji had probably not meant anything romantic by it, her heart still fluttered a bit at their words.

“It’s no problem, Hanji,” she said. There was a pause as Petra wondered whether or not she should say what she wanted to—about how she cared about Hanji and wanted them to spend a little more thought into taking care of themself—or if that would be too strange and out-of-place. She glanced up at Hanji almost shyly through her eyelashes, watching them blow on their tea and scribble messily scrawled notes that she couldn’t make out for the life of her.

Occasionally Hanji would look up, ask for Petra’s opinion on something, and then launch into an extensive summary of background information on the subject. Petra would smile and rest her head in her hands, content to watch Hanji’s animated gestures and lively expressions as they spoke.  

Petra felt her eyelids drooping a few times, heavy with sleep, but she managed to power through it. She rested her head on her arms and listened to Hanji ramble about various titan-related trivia and facts.

“Don’t you think we should sleep now, Hanji?” Petra asked, barely concealing a yawn. The sky outside had turned a yellowy early-dawn color and neither of them had gotten a wink of sleep yet.

“Mm, in a little bit. But you should sleep if you’re feeling tired, Petra!” they said, looking at her with wide eyes.

“No…” Petra mumbled even as her eyes drifted shut. “I’ll stay awake with you. I’ll make sure you don’t overwork yourself, Hanji…” her words were slurred with drowsiness as she felt herself slip into sleep.

She was so tired she almost didn’t see the fond smile on Hanji’s lips, or feel the warm blanket being placed over her shoulders, or the quietly whispered "Good night Petra" before she nodded off.

Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erwin and Levi ship petrahan, obviously. I hope you liked the chapter! Kudos and comments are a great way to let me know, by the way (　´∀｀) [dokushoujo](http://dokushoujo.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and feedback would be awesome if you've got any! [dokushoujo](http://dokushoujo.tumblr.com/)


End file.
